Automatic railroad-crossing gate



A. NAMULICK.

. AUTOMATIC RAILROAD CROSSING GATE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTSO 1919. 1 ,360, 139, Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

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AUTOMATIC RAILROAD CROSSING GATE.

APPLICATION FILED $EPT.3U, 1919. 1,360,139. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

4 SHEE'l'S-SHEEI 2.

% vym A. NAMOLICK. AUTOMATIC RAILROAD CROSSING GATE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.30| I919.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 @vwewtoz the track similar to Fig. 3, and taken at the UNITED STATES ANTHONY NAMOLICK, 0F SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF 0 JOHN"GRATKOWSKI, 01F SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

PATENT OFFICE.

IVE-HALF 'ro AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-CROSSING GATE.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 23, 192() Application filed September 30, 1919. Serial No. 327,446.

over and being automatically returned to their open positions after the train has passed beyond the cross-over as soon as the train has passed certain distance beyond the cross-over.

With the above general ob ects in view andothers that will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction, combina tion and arrangement of parts hereinait'ter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe ap ended claims.

n the drawings iorming a part oi: this appl cation and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railroad track with thepresent invention in operative position relative thereto,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view ot the same with the operating mechanism for the gate arms shown in dotted lines,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view oi a portion of a track with the housing embedded in the ground within the same for containing the operating mechanism for the crossing arms, the trip mechanism being shown inset position,

. Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the trip mechanism engaged. by a car wheel and having operated the crossing a rm mechanism,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of opposite end of the operating mechanism, both crossing arms being shown in VGITtICZLl position,

Fig. 6is a View similar to Fig. 5, showing the crossing arms lnlowered closed position ing in either direction.

with the forward trip engaged by a car wheel, i

"Fig. 7 is a vertical cross sectional view of one of the stands supporting a crossing arm a n the operatlng mechanism, and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing and also illustratin the cage for housing the modified form of the invention wherein the crossing arm is operated by meshing gears in lieu of a belt.

Briefly described, the present invention aims to provide a railway crossing uard embodying vertically swinging crossing arms or gates positioned at opposite sides of a railroad track and having means associated therewith and operable by an approaching train; in either direction for o 3erating the crossingarms to lower the same to their operative substantially closed positions while the train is passing the cross-over and which arms will be released for movement to vertically inoperative positions after the train has passed the cross-over while travel- The operating mechanism for the crossing arms embodies the provision of a longitudinal casing positioned beneath the trackand having a plurality arms extending outwardl of the casing and having the outwardly pro ecting ends thereof spring-pressed upwardly to position adjacent the" rail treads for engagementby the rolling stock and operation ofthe crossing arms.

Describing the invention more in detail there is illustrated'a railroad track embodying opposite rails 9 supported upon ties 10, the rails and ties being of ordinary con struction while a pair olvertical casings 11 are arranged at opposite sides of the rails 9fat the point of a cross-over and have rotatably supported exteriorly thereof cross ing arms 12 having counterweights 13 at their inner ends for purposes presently to ap can longitudinally extending housing 14 substantially rectangular in cross section is arranged beneath the ties 10 and is provided with a removable cover-wall 15 supported upon flanges 16 as clearly illustrated 'inFig. 7, the housing 14: extending a considerable distance at each side of the cross arms 12, one end thereof being shown of shiftable armsconnected at their ends to rotatable disk members withthe end in Figs. 3 and 4 while the opposite end is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The lower ends of the casings 11 are embedded in the ground axially alined therewith and positioned within the casing 11. The shafts 18 are associated respectively with the lower end of eachcasing 11 and extendfrom a point within each housing '14 transversely of the track and journaled upon each shaft within said housing, is a disk 22, the disks 22 beingfixed to androtatable with the shafts 18 and being connected by a link 23 pivotally connected at its ends as vat 24: to the inner and outer sides respectively of the disks 22, so that upon rotation of one disk '22 similar movement will be communicated to the other disk. The mechanism for retating the disks 22 includes a second disk 25 journaled upon the transverse shaft 26 extending across'the housing 14, the disk 25 being connected by a link 27 to the disk 22 while an operating lever 28 connected to the disk 25 diametrically opposite the connection of the link 27, extends through an end 7 opening'g'29 provided in the end wall of the housing 14: and carrying a tri 30 upon fits projecting end lying'adjacent the rail 9 of the track.

Thelever 28 is held in its uppermost position with the trip 30 slightly spaced above the rail 9 by a pin 31 resiliently mounted as at 32 in a socket provided in the adjacent enlarged end of said housing, this construction belng clearly shown in Figs.

Sand 4. The opposite end of the housing 14 is similarly constructed with a pin 31 tensioned as at 32 while the lever 28 is dir'eetlyfengageable with the adjacent disk 22 and projects through the end opening 29 in the housing Hand carries a trip 30 upon the projecting end thereof, b 7

Rotary motion is communicated from the shafts 18 to the crossing arms 12 and by devices shown more clearly in Fig. 7, there beingiillustrated a transverse bearing 33 in V which is journaled a shaft 34, for support- .ing the cross-arm 12, a pulley. 35. being secured to the shaft 34 within'the casing 11 and having a belt connection 36 with the 7 lower pulley 37 carried by the shaft 18 with- V in the bearing 21.

A modifiedform of the invention is shown in Fig. 8, wherein aplurality. of meshing gears 38'journaled within the casing 11 communicates motion from the crank shaft 39to the crossingarm 12, an arm 28 similar to the lever 28 being connected to the crank shaft 39 andoperable by a like trip mechanism for shifting the crossing arms.

A lamp-post -11 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided and carries an illuminating burner of any desired character with a danger sign positioned therebeneath while an electric bell 42 is carried upon the post and is operable in any desired manner as by a block signal system at present employed.

Assuming the invention to be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the wheels d3 of an approaching train ready for contaet with the trip 30 with the lever 28 as shown in Fig. 3, said lever 28 will be operated as shown in Fig. 4, with the wheel 4-3 engaging the trip to shift the same during which movement the lever 28 is lowered against the tension, of the spring-pressed pin 31 and forwardly projected to rotate the disk 25 upon the bearing 26 and to retract the link 27 connected to the disk 22 which motion is simultaneously communicated to the shafts 34 by the link connection 23 between the disks 22, and the belt connections 36 between the pulleys 35 and 37, and against the tension of the counterweights 13. The gates will be lowered to the position illustrated in Fig. 6, and maintained in substantially lowered position against the force of the counterweights 13 as long as the train trav els over the trips 30, while the gates will still be maintained lowered and closed until the last wheel of the last car passes over the forward trip as illustrated in Fig. 6. As soon as the train completely passes the operating trips the counterweights 13 will assert their force and restore the crossing arms 12 to the vertical position shown in Fig. 1, at which time traiiic across the track between the crossing arms will be permitted.

The device is equally practicable and operative when the gears 38 are employed in lieu of the belt drive 36 and the crank shaft :39, when employed in lieu of the shaft 18 with the disk 22 thereon will also function in as efficient a manner. The crossing arms are operable with trains passing in either 7 direction, and while the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, combination and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A device of the class described comprising in combination with a railroad track, a housing extending longitudinally thereof and beneath the sa ine, vertical casings positioned.

tubular members and having one of their and out of the end walls of said housing, ends connected to the respective cross arm trips on the free ends of said links, said 10' operating means, the free ends of said shafts trips positioned above and in abutting enjonrnaled in one side Wall of the-housing, gagement with the tracks, and resilient disks secured to'said shafts and located Withmeans supporting said means above said in said housing, links having one of their tracks.

ends pivoted to said disks, the free ends of "In testimony whereof I aflix m signature. said links extending longitudinally through ANTHONY NA OLICK. 

